A decade on from mulesing cruelty concerns, industry remains the same

LESS than 10 per cent of wool is sold as non-mulesed despite a decade-long push to rule out the practice.

Australian Sheep and Wool Show Preview. Jock McRae from Eilan Donan stud will be taking sheep to the Show at Bendigo. Pictured: Generic Merino. Ewes. Sheep. Wool. Generic Sheep.

LESS than 10 per cent of wool is being sold as non-mulesed despite a decade-long push to end the practice.

In October 2004, major retailer Abercrombie and Fitch said it would no longer buy Australian wool because Merinos were mulesed.

It led many retailers to dec­lare a similar ban and, as recently as 2012 Japanese retailer, Uniqlo, boycotted the use of Australian wool due to mulesing.

The industry declared it would phase out mulesing in 2010, a deadline it did not meet.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals said Australian wool’s reputation had “plummeted” in the past 10 years.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

Should mulesing be banned?

Have Your Say in the form below

“The world now knows that farmers cut chunks of skin off lambs in a crude attempt to prevent flystrike in non-native sheep,” campaign director Claire Fryer said.

“The Australian wool industry had a chance to stand up and make proactive change for animal welfare a decade ago but it chose not to.

“The Australian wool industry has shown the world there is no such thing as humane wool, and consumers will respond with their wallets.”

A spokesman for Australian Wool Innovation said there had been an “enormous effort over the past decade” to tackle the mulesing issue.

“A lot of headway has been made in terms of various Australian Sheep Breeding Values.

“Pain relief has led the world on animal management and there have been endless trials into how to best manage the issue on farm.”

Australian Wool Exchange chief executive Mark Grave said there was an increasing number of buyers who asked for National Wool Declaration documents, where mulesing status is one of the questions.

“The interest is growing and it is used by them to support their purchases of Australian wool,” he said.

“The positive assurance is that the wool has been part of an independently run and aud­itable declaration process.

“This has been beneficial to the industry and, while it is largely unseen, it is being used.”